When Jon Phillips rolls into Bristol Dragway’s Street Fights, everyone in attendance takes notice.
A true showman, Phillips possesses the skills necessary to excite the crowd every time he races down the strip. The same skills that made Phillips a star in Thunder Valley launched him into the national spotlight when he participated in a recent episode of SPEED Channel’s “PINKS.”
Phillips’ episode of PINKS aired on Wednesday, April 4 at 9:30 p.m. on SPEED. On the show, two drivers faced off in a best three-out-of-five match race. Instead of taking home a cash prize, the winner of the competition is awarded the titles of both cars.
Phillips met PINKS’ host Rich Christensen during a simulated PINKS race at Bristol Dragway’s Street Fights last August. In the days following the event, Christensen called Phillips to ask if he would be interested in participating on the show.
Phillips, and his crew of about 45, took his 1974 Datsun 260 Z to Richmond, Va., to compete on PINKS. Phillips has owned the car since he and his wife started dating. Although the car had considerable sentimental value, Phillips said that he was more comfortable racing it than his other cars. Shean Barney’s weapon of choice was a 1964 Ford Falcon.
Prior to the show, Phillips brought his car to Bristol to make practice runs to gain a better understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. He used different car setups and situations to simulate the challenges he would face during the show.
“We went to the track and ran passes to get everything hooked up,” Phillips said. “If we ran into a problem on the show, we knew our practice at Bristol Dragway would help us know how to handle it.”
Phillips knew his car was fast, but a fast car does not guarantee a win on PINKS. It is not rare for a team to take a slower car to victory by negotiating for help during the race. This uncertainty weighed heavily on Phillips’ mind. Knowing that his chances of victory rested on many factors out of his control, Phillips worked to understand every element of the PINKS negotiating process, as well as every nut and bolt on his car.
“We tested at Bristol two weeks in a row,” said Phillips, “but when we pulled into Richmond, I knew that anything could happen. We worked night and day to get the car ready, but because so many different things can happen on PINKS, I knew we weren’t safe.”
Phillips enjoyed his time on PINKS, but said risking the title of his car was the ultimate pressure-packed situation.
“PINKS is the Real McCoy,” Phillips said. “It is stressful with a capital ‘S,’ but the show helped me gain national exposure for myself, my company, and Bristol Dragway, and I would not trade it for anything.”
